Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Inside the Project to Immortalize John Peel?s Record Collection [Music]

Before even cassettes became kitsch, we had the vinyl record. One legendary Englishman, John Peel, had more vinyl than just about anyone else. And, as one of the most influential disc jockeys ever to grace the airwaves, he often had them before everyone else. More »


sweet potato pie twas the night before christmas norad santa epic beard man nfl standings giants vs jets chargers

How To Get Change Management on the Project Management ...

Most change in organizations today occurs because of large scale project implementation. Very often this involves new technology platforms but sometimes the change is purely a business project change initiative. Unfortunately change management still has a long way to go to establish its fundamental importance to the successful implementation and benefit realisation of those changes. Simply put, most project managers think of change management as something that happens later in the project management life cycle. So let?s talk about why this happens and what as change managers we can do to put it on the agenda.

The first and most important distinction to be made is that as a change manager our role is to enable change to happen, we don?t drive the change. This is usually a huge paradigm shift in thinking for project managers and business leaders as most think that we make change happen, when what we do is advise on the most appropriate tools and techniques to employ at any given time in the change cycle to engage employees in the process of change. It is up to the leaders in the organization to drive change using our recommended strategies to achieve the desired outcomes of a particular project.

The second issue is that most project managers and business leaders think of change management as the ?soft stuff? doing the communication, training and human resources requirements of the change. What they fail to understand is that the ?soft stuff? is really the fundamental driver of change, a change project, whether focussed on technology or business change is of little value if employees are not engaged in the change itself and the reason for it and therefore the benefits of that change.

So here is a way you can influence the thinking of project managers and business leaders when a new project is on the horizon. Firstly think in terms of how they think, generally they are thinking phases of managing the project lifecycle, so for example the following phases; initiate; plan; build; implement; and close. So firstly think about change management in each of those phases across the ?soft side? of business issues such as communication, stakeholder engagement, training, human resources issues and measurement. Then decide what activities, actions and strategies you could recommend to be included in each of these phases and identify the precise benefit to the project manager and business leader for your specific change management advice to be included in each of these phases for the project success.

Even with the focus on the project, the essential ingredient for any successful change program is management and leadership commitment to the proposed strategy. The greatest challenge therefore for change managers is to ensure that leaders do not waiver from the challenges ahead. Change is hard, whether you are at the frontline, or at the executive leadership level. But the most difficult role of all to cope with change is the CEO, because pressures come from leadership team members warning against the changes, there will be unrest amongst staff and questions regarding the strategy. And it is always safer to stay with what is known even if it is not the best outcome for the organization rather than to take a risk to try to innovate and do something new that is untested.

So here?s what can you do to ensure that the focus stays on strategy.

1. Establish a project management team comprised of key leaders that focus on enterprise wide change and dependencies and is chaired by the CEO or department head. This ensures that the silo mentality is broken down as managers are required to adapt to a new process, that is, thinking of their specific project and the impact across the organization, which in turns changes behaviour.

2. From a change communication perspective it is important to ensure that communication is timely and aligned with progress at each of these change meetings. More importantly it is essential to communicate how each project and strategy implementation is aligned with the enterprise wide vision and direction of the organization. This way employees and managers will understand how individual projects are linked and how the organizational strategy is dependent on them all coming together.

3. All members of the leadership team need to be aligned. They must have consistent messaging regarding the direction they are communicating and that it is linked to the organizational vision and strategy. The need to communicate this face to face and influence support, provide specific details of the positive outcomes of the strategy to those who are accountable for driving aspects of the strategy.

4. Identifying and communicating the performance requirements linked to the strategy and confirming this at regular intervals throughout the year keeps everyone focused on the strategy and tasks.

5. Ensure that all managers make the strategy reviews and updates a key part of their regular team meetings.

6. Implementation is the most difficult aspect to manage successfully of any project because this is when it becomes real ? most resistance will be at this phase of the project, so it is important to have engagement strategies in place before this phase.

7. Identify those members of the leadership team most likely to be committed to achieving the outcomes and design a specific role for them to influence their peers and their management teams.

8. Where project management falls down is at the middle management level unless they have been engaged from the beginning and this means actually involved in the project and being able to influence the direction. This is where significant undermining occurs of project implementation and that is largely based in fear. Find out what the fear is and then address it and ensure that middle management are engaged from the beginning so they feel less threatened by the unknown.

Senior management provide direction for the strategy, ensure that appropriate resources both people and financial are available, are focussed and directly involved and aware of all the issues and risks of the project and most importantly provide updates and direction on an ongoing basis. The role of the change manager is to support this by ensuring that all the other issues that could derail the project are dealt with so that the senior leadership do not back track on the strategy.

Finally to maintain commitment to change all projects need to be integrated into the longer term strategy and vision of the organisation and all employees from frontline to senior leadership to understand how the project and their role contributes to the overall vision. Change is only successful when it is seamlessly integrated into the way the organisation operates, not as an appendage to the organisation. And once leaders experience the benefits of getting change management involved at the beginning of a project versus at the implementation phase, next time the challenge of getting change management on the project management agenda won?t be an issue.

About the Author

Marcia Xenitelis is a recognized authority on the subject of change communication and helping organizations get traction with strategy. She has consulted widely to business, spoken at conferences around the world and has developed products focused on change management. For access to case studies and more information on the types of strategies you can implement to engage employees visit http://www.marciaxenitelis.com for a wealth of free informative articles and resources.

apple announcement indianapolis colts joseph kony joseph kony higgs boson ipad 3 release date apple store down

Clever Techniques For Even Better Self Improvement | Offers2book ...

Self-guidance is an industry that is certainly much too an easy task to neglect until finally you really need it. Regardless if you are an ahead-considering particular person planning to get ready for any chance or if perhaps you have a difficulty you need to conquer, discovering a bit about personal-assistance is a fine strategy. This article will give you a few useful guideline facial lines on the subject.

An excellent hint for personal advancement would be to feel prior to articulate. Authors constantly proofread what the create, and folks must proofread their feelings before they are saying them out noisy. This will help you to reflect on your thinking and provide you a better comprehension of the way your come to feel.

Changing your setting may be the factor to allowing you to more content. Finding yourself in a spot that has a lot of physical violence, or perhaps in an area that depresses you will simply enable you to get lower. It is essential to reside in a safe and secure area, where you can come and go as you may please and never need to worry about your surroundings.

There are many strategies to understand life?s training. One way to study a whole lot when at the same time supporting other folks is actually by hearing other folks. We all need a hearing ear canal, and too many people tend not to take time to do that. Listen to other folks, and you may visit a labeled big difference in your own life.

Think prior to speak. Whenever you can, take a moment to reflect on no matter if what you are actually intending to say, helps make the circumstance far better or a whole lot worse. Many people blurt out whatever leaps within their brain, but that may be hurtful and cause the damage of your scenario. Consider initial and you?ll have less be sorry for around the things you say and you will make points better for anyone concerned.

Confess your lower-stage from the world. Admitting that you do not know all is the start of opening the mind, center and soul to the rest of the entire world. Everyone is but a speck from the whole world, therefore we each and every have a great deal to discover, understand, know and enhance.

When focusing on personal development, it?s useful to find out what is the best deficiency in your own life ? one thing that?s standing in between both you and your goals. Center on this one thing, and try to find a publication or plan to eliminate that specific difficulty. Then give attention to pursuing it.

Any moment that you are currently commencing a brand new diet plan, exercise regimen, course or some other kind of advancement you ought to make it the main priority for at least monthly. After this you may almost certainly minimize the amount of intellectual vitality needed as it gets to be schedule, but in the beginning it is important to fortify what you are performing.

There are as numerous possible self-support programs as there are individuals worldwide. The best way to get great results out from the approach would be to personalize a program which fits you. Any of this article?s suggestions might help you assist your self. Tend not to be worried about those which usually do not seem to be beneficial give attention to receiving the most out of the ones that do.

wordpress blog post

michigan football sugar bowl mild kidney failure presidential candidates celebrity wife swap gla republican candidates

Looking Forward To Singapore National Day Parade 2012 - Bun Bun

When my siblings and I were very young ? my age was a single digit ? we would count down to the minutes before the parade and wait in anticipation on little chairs in front of the television. As the live audience cheered and did the Kallang roar, so did we while waving our little flags filled with candy that rattled in the plastic staff.

Singing happily to the tunes of ?We Are Singapore?, ?Chan Mali Chan?, and ?xiao ren wu de xin sheng? led by celebrities and backed by the choir, it was our way of celebrating the nation?s birthday.

The funny thing was, right after all that singing, we would switch off the TV upon the appearance of the various contingents, what we called the ?boring marching people?. Lol. We would estimate about 30 minutes, during which we would take a bath and prepare snacks for the next part of the show.

How we loved the ensuing performances! The group formations of the Singapore flag, lion head, national flower, and various shapes were wonderful to look at. The display of pyrotechnics and color and rhythm showcasing the four main cultures of Singapore brought the stage to life. How I wished I could don one of those flamboyant costumes and disco my way through the night!

Combined school choir in 2005 Source: MOE

We said our pledge and sang Majulah Singapore with pride, complete with straight posture and fist on the heart. It made us feel very part of the live audience at the all-round stage at the National Stadium.

When the skies grew dark, my siblings and I brought the ?live? mood into our home by switching off all the lights in the house and we swayed our torchlights and bodies to the rhythm of the songs, singing at the top of our voices.

We didn?t have the NDP goodies bags, as it was then called, so we invented our own. If you were born in the 80?s, you would recall the McDonald?s plastic lunchbox that came in either red or green. In mine I had a torchlight and a water bottle. Simple yet adequate for a night in. =)

The mood was revved up with the finale fireworks display ? spurts of light that shot straight up into the black canvas, exploded into streaks of color, and faded into the darkness like drizzling gold coins.

Ah, such happy childhood memories of the National Day Parade!

It was many years later that I finally got to be a live audience at the National Stadium. If you?ve been at the live National Day celebrations, you?d know just how different the mood was!

Sitting beside strangers checking out their goodie bags, some lapping up dinner of oily KFC and Pizza Hut food sold at makeshift stalls at the entrances, some taking photos with film cameras that went ?CHEE-Keeeee?, some fanning themselves with cardboard paper, and others just feeling awesome and grateful to be part of the live audience ? like me; the feeling was just indescribable!

I was on a constant high throughout the show, and I even learnt to appreciate the significance and solemnness of the military contingents segment ? the people who defend the place we call home.

Check this out! HAHAHA!

I was 16 and had a flag and fireworks on my cheek, the theme logo sticker on my forehead, and another flag on my neck. Somebody give me an award for Absolute Patriotism.

Please continue reading the rest of this post to see updated pictures of me and don?t ask what was the thing I mosaiced. Thankyouverymuch. LOL.

Alas, gone are the days where we could queue to get tickets for the parade. As I mentioned in a previous post on how I got to be a live audience for so many years, my luck stopped the moment ticketing went online. Boo. I would love to queue! Qiuqiu and I can go queue together. :) But we?ve got to move with the times. Logistics was a headache and people are busier these days?

9 August was THE DAY for all Singaporeans to come together and celebrate the nation?s birthday.

Why did I highlight ?THE DAY??

Because this year, we don?t have to wait till THE DAY, 9 August 2012, to express our love for our homeland! I hear ?WHAT? Express our LOVE?? We are Asian!?.

Okie, participate. Participate can?

While we don?t tell our family and friends ?I love you guys so much, you are everything to me, I cannot live without you? on a daily basis, we show our love and concern through actions. And actions speak louder than words!

You probably don?t fancy going round yelling into people?s faces ?I LOVE SINGAPORE!!!?. Nah, it probably isn?t our style. What we can do is participate in the NDP activities! And I tell you, the activities are so much fun this year!

The NDP committee brainstorms for a new theme for the National Day Parade every year, but this year is VERY different! It will no longer be just a parade, but an ongoing string of activities hosted nation-wide which started way back in March 2012! Many of these activities are completely new! Check them out here!

This year?s theme is ?LovingSG: Our Home?, and the activities were created to evoke emotions and memories of what we love about our country. We may not say it, but we can show it; we may not be able to express it in words, but we can represent it with acts of love.

Official NDP 2012 website: http://www.ndp.org.sg/

Instagram Photo Competition

For instance, there?s an Instagram competition for people to upload their Instagram photos and stand to win prizes such as Tablet PC, Smartphone, Movie Vouchers as well as other goodies! Every two weeks a new theme will surface for variation. By the time you read this, it should be Instagram #4 ? My Favorite Hangout.

#1 ? My favorite spot at home (24 March ? 8 April)

#2 ? My favorite pastime (23 April ? 7 May)

Source: NDPeeps Facebook page

#3 ? My favorite person (19 May ? 3 June)

#4 ? My favorite hangout (16 June ? 1 July)

#5 ? My favorite local food (14 July ? 29 July)

Remember to tag them with #sgigNDPfavHANGOUT.

I just joined Instagram! Find me with bunbunmakeuptips. Had to pink that out.

Where is my favorite hangout? It?s got to be home, as in, inside my house. But if we had to be really strict with wording, with ?hangout? meaning a place you chill outside of the house, I?d say? probably? Sephora? I can spend 3 hours just walking round and round in the confined space of Ion Orchard Sephora. Lol. What?! I?m a beauty blogger!

LovingSG Trails

Which is probably why, if you love to stay OUT of the house, you will be enthralled with the next activity, the LovingSG Trail! It?s like The Amazing Race! With 4 different themed trails spanning over 3 months, you get to re-discover Singapore and all the things you love about it by taking pictures of yourself and the logo to unlock clues! Simply download the ?NDPOnTheGo? mobile app and start your adventure! It?s free and you stand to win attractive prizes just by participating!

Building A LovingSG Project

And while you?re out going click-crazy with Instagram and the LovingSG Trail, drop by the travelling National Day roadshows at Funan DigitaLife Mall, Tampines Mall, Bugis Junction and JCube from 7 July to 12 August 2012 to check out the made-to-scale model of the Marina Bay Floating Platform.

If you pay a small token amount of $5, you?ll receive a pair of LEGO mini figurines ? one placed on the platform replica and another as keepsake! All proceeds will go towards the Straits Times Pocket Money Fund. It?ll be fun to try and spot your own Lego figurine on the scale replica platform!

I personally think this is a very meaningful project ? you get to participate in NDP, be there at the Floating Platform (with your Lego figurine representation), and show your love and care for the underprivileged.

Bloggers: Juli, Xiaxue, Qiuqiu, Maureen, Rachell

Don?t blame us for our boring outfits! Haha! Options were limited when they first started and this starry singlet was the best they had.

So happy to make my own Lego figurine! :D

LovingSG: One Heart, One Voice

The highlight of all these activities has got to be the Virtual Choir! It?s Singapore?s FIRST EVER virtual choir. It?s a simple idea: a compilation of many people singing one song together at the same time, like a choir, only that everybody has their own screen space.

Conducted by Darrell Ang, Young Associate Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and put together by filmmaker Royston Tan who directed the movie 881, the first Singapore virtual choir will perform the one song we all know ? Majulah Singapura.

To get a better idea of how a really good virtual choir looks and sounds like, check out?Eric Whitacre?s virtual choir.

This must be how Heaven sounds like.

You don?t have to be beat or pitch-perfect, as long as you can move your mouth to the lyrics and look straight into the camera, you can be a part of the choir! Don?t worry about zao sia-ing! LOL!

Simply sing along to the karaoke version of Majulah Singapura and start recording. Super easy! Click here for the karaoke version and recording tips.

The last day to submit your video is 8 July 2012, so HURRY! The grand virtual choir will be revealed on National Day, 9 August 2012!

You can head down to the next roadshows where the LovingSG: One Heart, One Voice recording booths will be placed.

  • Jurong Point Shopping Centre 30 June to 1 July 2012
  • Causeway Point Shopping Centre 7 ? 8 July 2012

I?ve tried it at the second media brief and it?s audible from outside the booth. So if you are a bathroom soprano but are paiseh to let strangers hear you belt the high notes of Majulah Singapura, do it in the comfort of home. Don?t even have to leave the house to be part of NDP 2012! Very good for zhai(2) people! WOOHOO!!

But if you buay paiseh, by all means do it at the roadshow!

Here?s me getting ready for the camera to start rolling heh heh?

Want to hear me sing? :D

New NDP Segments!

Bringing back popular displays such as the combined school choir (last performed in 2012) and SYF best secondary school display band (last performed in 2006), will bring back many fond memories for many people. I played the clarinet in my secondary school band, ours was a symphonic band meaning no marching, but I did love watching the marching bands and wished we had fancy marching formations too. That?s why I watched the movie Drumline like 5 times.

This year?s celebrations also include a ?Commitment to Defence March?, a visual representation of national servicemen responding to their call of duty, in which 140 of them will march out from the spectators area to converge with other marching contingents on the stage.

Like this. LOL!

Source: NDPeeps Facebook page

Another new segment is the NS45, a salute to 45 years of national servicemen who have sacrificed for the nation. My dad graduated from NS many years ago, the cut off age being 40.

But last year and this year, both my brothers enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces. And they made us all very proud. =)

Family out in full force to support!

Little brother?s turn!

BMT POP (Basic Military Training Passing Our Parade) held at the Marina Bay Floating Platform! I?ll be back!

Where To Find NDP 2012 Information

The official NDP 2012 website (http://www.ndp.org.sg/) has all the information you need on the various activities.

The LovingSG website provides a one-stop platform for the integration of all social media initiatives. Social media, or new media, brings everyone closer, and the NDPeeps Facebook Page is the place to get updates and see behind-the-scenes photos. Everybody loves behind-the-scenes! Check out NDP Twitter feeds and YouTube Videos while you?re there too!

This year is the fifth time National Day Parade is held at Marina Bay Floating Platform and I FINALLY get to be a live audience, all thanks to Bun Bun Makeup Tips and Nuffnang!

I?m SO excited about NDP 2012. Firstly, because I am part of it. Attending all the media events let me have a glimpse of how much planning and effort goes into planning this annual big-scale event; secondly, because it is an immense honor to be part of NDP, and thirdly, because I really like how this year?s committee is embracing social media and ramping up efforts to encourage Singaporeans from all walks of life to share what they hold dear to their hearts.

Fellow bloggers brought together for this mega event of the year!

?

Recap of events you can participate in:

  • Instagram Photo Competition
  • LovingSG Trails
  • Loving SG Lego Charity Project
  • LovingSG One Heart, One Voice (last day of submission 8 July 2012)

Quickly go take a video of yourself singing the national anthem!

Be part of the FIRST Singapore virtual choir! My family, friends, and I have all submitted; I look forward to seeing yours on the virtual choir! Let?s sing our hearts out for the love of Singapore!

?

Majulah Singapura!

Onward Singapore!

?

?

school delays joran van der sloot honey badger critics choice awards 2012 colbert president huntingtons disease rob

Nutritional Supplements and Fitness | Daeng Rusle from Makassar ...

Nutritional Supplements and Fitness

Sometimes, having nutritional supplements and fitness is a must if we are to keep our health at the most optimum levels.

Health and wholeness are today?s mantra in a world where food is saturated with fats and the nutritional value of most of our food is quite low on the scale. Our fast food meals contain low nutrition and can even harm our health because of the ?artificiality? of some of the ingredients in our foods. We tend to eat more junk food than fresh produce like fruits and vegetables. We prefer our meat to be fatty and fried, rather than lean and moderately cooked. Chips, fries, and diet soda are at our table first rather than bran, broccoli, or bananas. And because of these, the prevalence of heart diseases and other medical maladies connected with unhealthy food are steadily rising. No wonder there is a tremendous push today for health and wellness, as well as for food supplements and fitness programs.

If you are a truly healthy person then you don?t need to worry about these things.

Perhaps you are getting the recommended three square meals a day, and then exercise a lot during the week. If you have access to meals that come from the various food groups, then food supplements, diet programs and workout routines other than the one you have may not be so important to you.

But in case you are not so fortunate to eat three square meals a day, or even take in the recommended variety of foods, then try considering nutritional supplements and fitness. Dietary supplements are intended to boost up a person?s intake of much-needed vitamins and minerals; the daily nutritional intake that our body needs. Most of us fall into an eating pattern that is too predictable: we end up eating the same foods again and again in a week. This robs the body of those important multivitamins that our body needs to function properly. With dietary supplements, you can give your body the crucial nutrients to be able to function well.

However, don?t skimp on your food. Nutritional supplements and fitness tabs are not intended to replace wholesome food, since they only ?provide? nutrients and not copy the additional benefits of whole food. An example is that, while nutritional supplements and fitness tablets can give your body large doses of vitamin C, they cannot give you the added benefit of ingesting fiber, which can help sweep clean the insides of your colon. Fiber can only come from eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and will help make you feel full for just a little amount.

Discount supplements are available if you don?t have the budget to buy those expensive and more ?complete? ones. The pricey ones are those that have micronutrients that are included within each tablet (and one you can see on recommended dietary guide at the back of the container). However, discount supplements can always fill up what nutrients are lacking in your system. Discount supplements or not, you can always count on nutritional supplements and fitness to make your body healthier and your life a whole lot better.

?

miracle on 34th street santa tracker monkey bread letter from santa sweet potato pie sweet potato pie twas the night before christmas

Portable Toilets for Ultimate Comfort

If you are away from your home and need a complete toilet and sanitation facility, then you may want to look at portable toilets. It is easy to find some of the most safe and hygienic toilets around. You can opt for luxury portable toilets for any special occasion. Today, you can find toilets that are sleek in design, highly comfortable, with suitable height and size, and have user-friendly flush lever. These highly designer and functional toilets give exclusive look and function to give you the comforts of home.? These can resemble trailers, but contain 5 to 6 stalls with all the amenities including like a flushing toilet.

Most of the people are used to Port o Lets that can be found at large outdoors events like music festivals, and sporting events.? They are often unsanitary and not a comfortable experience for most who are looking for the comforts of home.

Many of these upscale mobile toilets have freshwater, a bidet toilet seat, a flushing toilet and sinks with running water for cleaning hands. ?Moreover, these portable toilet potties are preferred because they are safe and hygienic in nature. Unlike many portable restrooms, these do not use the chemicals in holding tanks to collect waste.

Most of the luxury portable toilets have the following features:

  1. Sleek, stylish and comfortable design
  2. User-friendly features
  3. Freshwater flushing
  4. Multiple toilet stalls
  5. Easy access with ADA Standards

People also like small portable toilets that are simple to use.

Most of the toilets have a flushable feature; this is the reason these are used for campouts, base camps, outdoor events as well as any other emergencies or natural disaster. People also choose them if they have modern look, and are easy to transport. ?In order make cleaning easier, people may choose toilets that use dry flush cycle. These use a safe dry chemical that can turn human waste into an odorless safe solid in a matter of seconds that make them safe for disposal in any landfill or waste collection can.

There are some providers that can offer many different types of toilet accessories, urological supplies, supplements, portable toilets, tailgating restroom supplies, bedwetting supplies, bidet products, incontinence products, home healthcare, and restroom convenience items. These are all designed to offer a comfortable experience while maintaining the highest quality standards. This also involves a wide range of portable toilets, as well as a great range of items to help people keep better personal hygiene.

Online stores offer hygiene products that are discrete, dependable, comfortable, and simple to use. They offer shipping that is fast to economic. In fact, their online shopping cart allows for safe secure checkout, or the convenience of speaking with a customer service representative. They are knowledgeable about the products which they offer. In essence, whether you need a small portable toilet or any traveling restroom, you can always rely on portable toilets to help you when nature calls.

yield crossbow airhead atherosclerosis steven tyler tropic thunder carnie wilson

Ozone exposure linked to potential heart attacks

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2012) ? Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a small study reported in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

Study participants showed evidence of vascular inflammation, a potential reduced ability to dissolve artery-blocking blood clots, and changes in the autonomic nervous system that controls the heart's rhythm. The changes were temporary and reversible in these young, healthy participants.

Ground level ozone is created when pollutants from vehicles, power plants, industry, chemical solvents and consumer products react in the presence of sunlight. Recent epidemiology studies have reported associations between acute exposure to ozone and death but little is known about the underlying pathophysiological pathways responsible.

"This study provides a plausible explanation for the link between acute ozone exposure and death," said Robert B. Devlin, Ph.D., the study's lead author and senior scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Devlin and colleagues focused on a single, short-term exposure and not the effects of years of exposure to ozone.

Researchers exposed 23 volunteers, ages 19 to 33, to 0.3 parts per million (ppm) of ozone. The dose was higher than the EPA's eight hour ozone standard of 0.076 ppm. However, a person breathing 0.3 ppm for two hours receives roughly the same amount of ozone as does a person breathing the lower 0.076 ppm for eight hours, Devlin noted.

Study participants underwent two controlled exposures -- one to clean air and one to ozone-polluted air -- at least two weeks apart. During each exposure, participants alternated 15-minute periods of stationary cycling and rest.

None of the participants reported complaints or physical symptoms after inhaling clean air or ozone. However, immediately following and the morning after ozone inhalation, tests showed significant ozone-induced vascular changes compared to clear-air exposure. These changes included:

  • Increase in blood levels of interleukin 1beta, a signature marker of inflammation that appears to play a key role in heart disease.
  • Decrease in plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 and plasminogen, components that play an important role in dissolving blood clots that may form along arterial walls.
  • A change in heart rhythm, indicating altered autonomic nervous system control of heart rate.

Epidemiology studies have also associated acute exposure to another ubiquitous air pollutant, particulate matter (PM), with death in elderly people with cardiovascular disease. Particulate matter is tiny airborne particles that can be inhaled into the lungs. Controlled exposure studies of both humans and animals have described PM-induced changes that are very similar to those described in this ozone study, suggesting that both pollutants may be causing death by affecting similar pathways, the researchers said.

The World Health Organization estimates 2 million people worldwide, mostly elderly people with cardiovascular disease, die because of acute exposure to air pollution. The EPA puts the yearly U.S. toll at 40,000-50,000 deaths.

"People can take steps to reduce their ozone exposure, but a lot of physicians don't realize this," Devlin said.

The EPA website, airnow.gov, explains how you can reduce ozone exposure. The American Heart Association supports EPA guidelines for restricting activity of people with heart disease, certain cardiovascular risk factors, pulmonary disease, diabetes and for the elderly. The EPA funded the study.

Read the American Heart Association scientific statement on air pollution and cardiovascular disease. Take free risk assessment quizzes and find your risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Heart Association.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Robert B. Devlin, Kelly E. Duncan, Melanie Jardim, Michael T. Schmitt, Ana G. Rappold, and David Diaz-Sanchez. Controlled Exposure of Healthy Young Volunteers to Ozone Causes Cardiovascular Effects. Circulation, 2012 DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.094359

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

chick fil a diverticulitis jello shots bowl games abc store nate diaz vs donald cerrone ufc 141